Andres Wirkmaa, Esq.

"Baseball Scorekeeping: A Practical Guide to the Rules by Andres Wirkmaa, is the FINEST book I have ever seen on the subject of scorekeeping. (It’s a) very thorough guide to scorekeeping, but easily understandable.

I will bet you this, if you read this book, you will know more about scorekeeping THAN ANYONE AT THE BALLPARK, including the official scorekeeper!"

"A great book that explains scorekeeping in plain words we can all understand. I have kept score for many years and after reading this book, I found things that I had no idea about."

"You will know all that needs to be known about baseball rules in their entirety with Baseball Scorekeeping, a must for every coach and aficionado of the game."

"(It covers) every single scoring rule explaining how it works and should be interpreted... very complete... excellent."

Thorough and Very Readable, December 28, 2004

As an official scorer for a university baseball team, I was pleased to run across Andres Wirkmaa's book, Baseball Scorekeeping. I was hoping to find a text that would serve as a guide to resolving those "knotty problems" that come up every once in a while that present real challenges to any official scorekeeper. Wirkmaa's handy little book accomplishes that, and more. It takes the reader through Rule 10 of the Official Rules of Baseball, step by step, with plenty of examples. Wirkmaa mixes a decidedly scholarly tone--he is an attorney by trade--with a sense of humor, all in a very approachable and engaging style.

The book is well written, clearly organized, and valuable to anyone who is involved in scorekeeping.

So you think you know the rules of the game...

"Do you care what your favorite player's batting average is? Are his on-base percentage and his slugging percentage important to you? Then you owe a real debt of gratitude to baseball's official scorers. All the statistics that are generated around the game of baseball depend upon the oft maligned and seldom properly appreciated scorers of the game. And baseball scorers, as well as fans, owe a debt of gratitude to Andres Wirkmaa for writing this interesting and informative book.

Baseball Scorekeeping is a thorough and meticulous discussion of Rules 10.01 through 10.24 of baseball's official rulebook, pertaining to 'The Official Scorer.' It is an essential reference for any professional scorekeeper, and for anyone who keeps score seriously. Until I read this book, I had no idea of the complex rules that go into keeping score, nor of the amount that a scorer must know to do his or her job properly. The scorekeeper must pay strict attention at all times to what is happening on the field, and must often use his or her judgment and discretion to apply the rules so that the resulting statistics will be meaningful and comparable.

Filled with examples and illustrations of complicated baseball situations, the book takes on the task of explaining not only what is required of the scorekeeper, but why. Despite the rigid format imposed by the rulebook, the author manages some humor in unexpected places. I particularly enjoyed his explicatory subtitles (he refers, for example, to the '...Seemingly Pointless, Unnecessary and Incongruous Exception to Rule 10.05(e)'. Wirkmaa clears up many misconceptions. A common one is that a fielder must touch the ball to be charged with an error. Not true! The difference between a misplay and an error, the difference between a plate appearance and an at bat, understandable explanations of a fielder's choice, and how to calculate earned runs, all are here. In this surprisingly fascinating book, you will also find out how a runner can be caught stealing and still be safe on base, how a pitcher can be credited with a strikeout while the batter reaches first base safely, and how a batter may have his plate appearance charged to one pitcher but the run he eventually scores charged to a second pitcher.

If you think you understand all of baseball's rules, buy this book and test yourself. Baseball Scorekeeping is a wonderful book to 'dip into' occasionally just for fun. And when questions about scoring come up, you will find the answers here.

The book is printed on acid-free paper for a long shelf life."

"As the official scorer for the Salem Avalanche, many people have questioned my decisions on awarding base hits, errors, etc. I’ve maintained for more than 40 years as an official scorer at various levels of baseball that if you know the rules and are consistent, you’ll get the play right at least 99% of the time.

Wirkmaa has gone through every single scoring rule, explaining how it works and should be interpreted, and (his book is) very complete.

The main thing is that his interpretations of the rules are excellent, and he doesn’t miss a beat in explaining baseball’s scoring rules.

(This is a book that) every sandlot, high school and college coach, as well as professional manager, should read and study."

"If you think you know the baseball rules completely, you must read this book first!

It's an excellent companion to the Official Rules of the game.

If you love the game, you'll love this book!"